Amber Lights
by Esquimaux
Summary: When Rachel moves to a new town, she befriends a nice girl named Alice. When things go wrong, Alice's family takes Rachel in. Prequel to Twilight. Slightly AU. Complete.
1. A New School A New Friend

Hiya guys! I had this thought in my head that I would write a short story based in the late 1800s/early 1900s about some girl who was forced to marry some stupid guy, but I ditched that idea and started on this... let me know what you think! Plz review!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own twilight, no matter how much I would like to become rich and drive away with a hot guy in a hot car.... but I do own Rachel Racine!

PS: Like Rachel, I did my research! I don't live in Mill Bay, but I've been there, and let me say that it's a beautiful place :) That's why I chose it, and that's how I know stuff about it! So, stalkers, don't waste your time. :D

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Whenever people talk about love, they make it sound like it is the most amazing thing in the world. They say it fills them with joy to the point where they can't breathe. They make it sound so simple a toddler could do it.

My name is Rachel Racine, and I'm not usually filled with joy when I think of love.

You are probably thinking I once had my heart broken. Or maybe the guy I fell in love with was a jerk who didn't know a cat from a duck. It's not either of those things, actually. But I am willing to share my story to whoever wants to listen.

It started in late September of 1998. I was 16 years old and just starting at a new school in a new town...

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The forest seemed to fly by me as the bus headed towards the next stop. I felt like I could reach out and touch the falling rain, but was brought back to reality when an older girl with short black hair asked if she could sit next to me. I nodded my head and moved my bags so she could fit in the seat. The girl was petite, to say the least, and seemed comfortable sitting beside a stranger.

"Hi, I'm Alice. I haven't seen you around... are you new here?"

I was pretty shy that day. I mean, who wouldn't be; starting at a new school and such? I simply nodded and replied with my name.

"Did you in move from out of town?" She asked.

"Yeah, from Chicago."

"Oh cool, where's your house?"

"Um Telegraph Road. I've been here for a couple days."

"Well, if you need any help getting to know the area, I'd love to show you around!" Alice seemed a bit excited about me, so I accepted.

Mill Bay is a small community. Tiny compared to Chicago, but I've always wanted to live in a small town. When my mom told me we were moving to an island in Canada, I thought, _Oh no. Not igloos. No no no no no. NO. I refuse to live in an igloo surrounded by ice and snow and cold water_.

It wasn't until I'd searched for a map and found out that we were moving to Vancouver Island on the southwest coast, far from freezing temperatures, that I started to calm down. I did all the research I could on Mill Bay and the surrounding area... the only flaws I could detect were lots of rain, and the obvious point: it was on an island. A very large island, but still an island.

I figured Alice would know where Telegraph Road was. I, on the other hand, didn't even know where the nearest Starbucks was.

Next thing I knew, we were driving up the long driveway to my new school, Mill Bay High, and the bus was unloading. I walked into the office to sign in.

Alice insisted on coming with me to make sure everything went smoothly for me. It was nice to know that someone was there to help me in my time of need, and Alice's overly-happy mood was the cherry on top.

I smiled at the secretary and said, "Hi, my name's Rachel Racine. I'm new here. My mom told me to come here and pick up my schedule and find out who my home-room teacher is."

The older lady smiled a motherly smile and replied, "Of course." She gave me my paperwork and had me fill out some forms as she told me some quick tips and rules. Ready to fulfil her duty, Alice jumped in.

"Ms. Bunter! I'd be happy to show Rachel around, don't worry about giving her directions."

The secretary, Ms. Bunter, looked at me for confirmation that it was alright with me –which I confirmed my nodding- then turned to Alice and said, "Her advisor is Ms. Ready, room-"

"-229. Yes, I'm in that room as well!" Alice turned to me and was literally bouncing with joy, "I can't believe it! We get to spend every morning block together! Aren't you excited?!?"

Just as this was going I heard the morning buzzing ring. As I had understood from Ms. Bunter's briefing, this was the five-minute bell

"Calm down Alice!" I giggled. Her mood was starting to spread to me, "Yes I am, now let's get to class before we're late." We started to walk down the hall and took a quick left up some stairs. Alice led me to a door a few meters down the hall and stopped infront of it.

"Ms. Ready is a nice lady. If you respect her, she'll respect you. And try not to get on her bad side..." Alice trailed off, "Any questions?"

I looked at her and smiled. "No, but thank you so much. You have no idea how much help you've been"

"No problem, hey, what are you doing after school today? Wanna go explore town? I could show you around."

I realized at that moment that I had made my first friend at Mill Bay High. The first friend I'd made since leaving Chicago. It made me smile to know that somebody could be so kind to someone they barely knew. All of my old friends were very close to me, but when I met them, they were just another face in the crowd. Alice stood out among everybody, and I already felt the friendship building between us.

"Rachel, let's go inside before all the seats are taken." She tugged me into room 229 with that everlasting smile on her face.

Alice quickly introduced me to Ms. Ready and then pulled me to the back of the class where two seats were waiting.

"Nice," She congratulated, "She likes you, I can tell. We are supposed to use this block to do any homework we need to finish and Ms. Ready will do attendance. What class do you have next?"

"Um let me check," I pulled out my schedule the secretary gave me, "Science with Mr. Sosh, room 103"

"Okay, that's downstairs. It's right on the way to my class if you want me to walk you there." She didn't even wait for a reply from me, but smiled and started her homework.

Ms. Ready started calling attendance. "Lucy Allen"

The girl behind me called "Here!"

"Alice Cullen"

"Here!" Alice said.

"Edward Cullen"

"Edward, Rose, and Emmett are away with family friends- they should be back by next week. Jasper is camping with friends. They called yesterday and said they got lost, so they extended it a day. He should be back tomorrow." Alice told the teacher.

I was staring, amazed by what I heard. She saw me, laughed, then leaned over and whispered, "They keep families in the same advisor group here. Those were my brothers and sisters. I'll introduce you when they show up!"

Ms. Ready's voice cut in, "And I'd like to introduce a new member to our room: Rachel Racine. She moved here recently from Chicago. I'm sure she will come to feel welcome at this school with your help."

The rest of the hour I spent reading a book _Switcharound_ by Lois Lowry which Alice lent me.

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Sooo.... there's the first chapter! Tell me what you think! Any guesses as to which way the story's going to turn?

~Maux


	2. Yellow Schoolbus Yellow Submarine

Thanks for the reviews! I was bouncing up and down in my seat when I was reading them :)

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Hayz... she knows who she is :P

BTW. If you hadn't figured it out already, _italics_ refers to thoughts (or in some cases, titles of books or songs)

Disclaimer: I DON'T own the Cullens, but I'm always open to gifts

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Science and English passed quickly. The teachers quickly introduced me to the class, gave me my books and instructions, and I just sat there, listening and taking notes. In science, I sat beside a Japanese boy named John. He was helpful but not as open as Alice. I was starting to wonder if she was going out of her way to accommodate me- not that I minded.

Before I knew it, I was standing in the lunch line-up. _Salmon Burgers and Fries. Mmmm…. I wonder what salmon tastes like-_

"Heya! How were your first two classes?" Alice interrupted my train of thought.

"Good. I think I already learned some of the stuff at my other school, but not all of it, so it's okay."

The line moved forward. I grabbed a burger and fries then moved to the cashier, Alice on my tail with a salad of her own, then she lead the way to a table in the corner.

"My family usually meets me here for lunch. You're welcome to join us tomorrow, too, if you'd like," She invited.

I nodded my head and took a bite into my meal. _Oh my goodness…. This is heaven... _"Am I still alive?" I suddenly blurted out.

"Umm… unless you are a zombie or a vampire, I'd doubt it. You're not a zombie are you?" She said this with a perfectly serious expression.

"No, but this is definitely the best burger I've ever had."

Alice had to smile at that. "Oh, well that's a relief. I guess I should tell you. I'm a vampire."

I laughed. "Well, why are you eating human food, then? I'm sure my blood would be much more appetizing to you than that salad."

"Oh it would be, but I'm not willing to kill you just yet" She gave me an evil smile, couldn't hold it, and burst into laughter.

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After lunch was gym. I consider myself a fairly good athlete, but definitely not the best in my class back in Chicago. But I had to smile when Coach Keep announced that we would be playing basketball…

I won't go into detail about how the rest of gym went. Just let me say that my classmates were speechless when I broke the school record for three-point shots. I can still see their faces; an average, red-head girl from Chicago who practically slaughtered the 6'3" point-guard who plays on the school team.

_Victory, sweet victory…_

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"And that is how Napoleon's rule came to an end." Miss James finished. "Any questions?"

"Um, yeah," I saw the girl sitting beside me, Josie, put her hand up, "Whatever happened to his family after he died?"

Before my new Social Studies teacher could answer, the bell rang. I was started when I realized that the day was over already. In my old school, we had six classes per day- not just four. I shrugged and followed the crowd out of class. Ms. Ready told me earlier that I needed to return to homeroom before dismissal, so that was where I was headed.

Along the way, I spotted the just the person I needed to see, "Alice!" I called for her.

She turned and saw me waving, and then waited for me to catch up to her. "Hey" she replied, and we walked in silence to room 229.

We had five minutes until the end of day bell rung. Ms. Ready did end-of-day attendance while we waited.

_Brinnnnnngggg…._

Finally! The day was over! I could go home and try to relieve my head of all the new information it had to hold. I walked with Alice to where we caught the bus. It was raining lightly- not enough to make a fuss of. When we got on, we talked about each other's day. I had a 15 minute ride until my stop, and Alice had a 40 minute ride. The morning bus was more direct than the afternoon one, so her stop is after mine, now.

"So, what do you do to waste time?" I asked.

"Well, I don't usually take the bus because my brother Edward usually drives. He has the car with him, otherwise I would have driven." She looked at me, "Hey, me and Jasper could pick you up tomorrow if you want."

I was shocked she would offer. Being picked up would be much faster than the bus. "Would you? That would be great! I'm not too far out of the way, am I?"

"No problem. You're right on the way."

The rain had picked up quite a bit. And just in time for my stop, too. _Oh, great,_ I thought sarcastically, _just my luck._ I picked up my bag, told Alice to call me later tonight, and stepped off the bus onto the wet pavement.

My new house was about a ten minute walk away. The neighborhood wasn't exactly close together, either. Most of the scenery was trees and forest with the occasional house stuck in randomly.

As I walked I hummed _Yellow Submarine_.

_So we sailed into the sun, till we found the sea of green,_

_And we lived beneath the waves, in our yellow submarine,_

_We all live in a yellow submarine, a yellow sub-_

I stopped and scanned around me. I swore I heard rustling in the bushes. Shaking my head, I decided it must just be a dog.

I turned around to continue walking and saw a man standing a few feet infront of me, with brown hair and dark eyes. He wasn't there a second ago. Nobody was.

I thought I knew what he was going to do, judging by the evil smile on his face. My mind was screaming at me to run, but my feet wouldn't move.

"You know, you shouldn't be out here in this rain." His smooth voice shocked me. It reminded me of Alice's. I wondered quickly if this was one of her brothers, but quickly banished the thought. Nobody who acted like this could be related to Alice. _But their perfect features…_

"You must be cold. How about I help warm you up," His silk voice asked.

_Oh no. Not now. I've only been here a couple days._ I bundled up my courage and spat at him, "If you come any closer I'll scream." The closest house was a couple hundred meters away, I figured if I could yell loud enough someone would hear. Maybe I would be lucky and the owners would be outside.

"Oh, but honey, you aren't quick enough."

A flash of brown and he was right beside me, faster than I could blink. I felt his hand at my neck, the other at my waist. Then… _pain._

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I know what you must be thinking.... WHERE THE EFF IS ALICE?!? Everything wil be explained in either the next capter or the one after that... be patient!

Review Plz!


	3. New Sights New Tastes

Whoo! Chapter Three!! Keep in mind that the chapters usually end up better if I have people cheeping me on with reviews!

This chapter is for Taran. He couldn't even finish reading the first chapter because he lost interest. So I'm going to rub it in his face when I have 1000 hits.

Disclaimer: Do I write like Stephenie Meyer? No. Do I own Twilight? No. Do I want a 1967 Chevy Impala? Yes. Anybody willing to give me one? That's for you to answer.

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I felt his teeth pierce my skin. He was biting my shoulder. _Why is he biting my shoulder?_ I asked myself. But before I could find an answer, I felt my skin burning. Where he bit me, my skin felt like it was on fire._ How could I be on fire? It's raining_…

Dazed with pain, I sensed the man being pulled off of me. I cried out when I fell to the ground, but that was nothing compared to how my shoulder was.

"Rachel -Rachel, it's Alice. Oh god, Rachel. It's going to be okay. I'm so sorry -I was too late. My father is a doctor. I'll take you to him-" _Alice? Late? Why is Alice here?_

The pain was spreading into my arm and chest, up my neck. It was getting harder to think. I felt myself being carried, with the wind blowing on my face; though my hair. I was moving fast, but I couldn't see anything. But I could hear Alice talking to me, telling me everything was going to be alright.

"A-Alice? What's h-happening?"

"Shh, don't talk. It'll all be over soon." Was she carrying me? But how could she move so fast?

A thousand questions ran through my head, all to be forgotten and replaced with pain a second later. Everything was burning now -my face, my arms, my legs- and it only got worse. It never lessened like I expected it to.

Soon I was out of the rain, lying down with unfamiliar voices floating around me. I only recognized Alice's, but couldn't understand what she was saying.

Pain took over my senses. I couldn't talk or hear. I only felt pain. My eyes were unseeing and I couldn't control my muscles. My whole world was fire. I don't know how long it had been since the man. I didn't care. I _couldn't_ care.

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Minutes felt like hours, hours felt like weeks. Time didn't exist for me. I would occasionally hear a soothing voice, but couldn't focus enough to find comfort in it.

I didn't move, didn't eat. My tears eventually ran dry and my throat raw. I just lay there, thinking of pain. _Only pain._

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Was I imagining this? Was this mercy I was receiving from hell? The tips of my fingers and toes started to regain feeling. The pain was leaving. Or was it?

As my mind became clearer, I could tell that the familiar burning was moving, not leaving. Better in my arms and legs, worse in my chest. _Was this mercy?_ I asked myself again.

I noticed the voices returned. There were close, now. Lots of people-

I gasped. It was getting hotter. My heart felt like it was going to explode. It was beating faster and faster. It was beating impossibly fast. I shouldn't have been alive at that point.

Suddenly there was silence.

_My heart stopped._

_The pain was gone._

I opened my eyes and immediately sat up. The colors were amazing. Some I couldn't even identify. Before I could take everything in, I saw a group of people standing on the opposite side of the room.

Among them was Alice, half hidden behind a tall blonde guy, looking at me and smiling sadly.

_This must be her family._ I thought. I counted seven people. Four men, three women.

My throat was still burning slightly, but not enough for me to make a big deal of.

An older looking blonde man stepped forward hesitantly. "Rachel. My name is Dr. Cullen, Alice's father. You can call me Carlisle, though. I know you must have a lot of questions, and I assure you they will be answered but I know you must be thirsty."

I was scared, I admit. I mean, where was I? _How long have I been here for? Where is my mom?_ I set the questions aside and nodded.

"Rachel, how 'bout you come with me and Jasper." She tilted her head towards the blonde guy, and then stepped towards me. I noticed that when she did, Jasper tensed. I also noticed the fresh smell rain coming down outside, the soft voice on the TV downstairs, the way my clothes clung to each part of my body, and… and something sweet smelling. Something was moving outside in the forest. Something with warm blood pumping loudly through its veins.

I couldn't control myself. I ran inhumanly fast as I bolted out the front door. My throat burned. I could sense somebody behind me, but I didn't care about them. They weren't a threat. _I only wanted the sweetness. _

Seconds later, I was tackled the sweet something onto the ground, biting into flesh. The liquid soothed the fire in my throat, and when it ran dry, I could think. I could see the deer lying on the ground beside me, empty eyes staring blankly.

_Oh God. What have I done? What happened to me?_ I was shaking now. Alice and a brown-haired muscular boy had followed me out and were looking down at me, not knowing what to do.

Alice finally crouched down beside me and gave me a hug. "Rachel. It's alright. Calm down. It's okay."

I was sobbing now. "What happened? Why am I like this? Please tell me!" I begged her.

"Okay, I will. Just come back to the house, and we'll explain everything, right Emmett?" She looked at the muscle-man, who nodded encouragingly at me.

"Okay" I said, and we slowly walked back to the house.

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What do ya think? I wasn't too sure the quality of writing in this chapter was as good… due to the fact that I was practically a walking zombie (and i've never tried to write a transformation before- do you have any idea how hard it is to write about a person in pain?)… I desperately needed to go to bed, but here I am! Well rested and about to start the next chapter! I'll try to upload it tonight, but school starts tomorrow so I don't know…

Anyways, plz press the little review button and leave me a note!

~Maux


	4. Quick Feet Long Explaination

Hey! You weren't expecting that, where you? No, I bet not :P School starts tomorrow, and I have a couple busy days coming up… Here's chapter three!

Disclaimer: Hmmm… I wish…. Nooo… oh! I know!... I-No…. I don't…. Yes! Got it! I wish for rights to Twilight! Then I could become rich and famous and own a nice house in Spain… I don't think this is going to come true anytime soon, so I just wish for a nice math teacher :)

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The walk back to Alice's house seemed much longer than the run out. While I was running, I only focused on that deer. Now, we seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, kilometres from everything.

I had calmed down slightly, but the fact that my heart wasn't beating was still freaking me out.

The forest was alive. I could hear a small snake sitting just off the trail, bees buzzing around some flowers in the distance. Another deer was walking nearby and I had to stop myself from running after it. _But it smells so good…_

There was no path we followed. Alice walked beside me, while Emmett trailed behind us. Roots stuck out everywhere; fallen trees frequently blocked out path. The first time we came across one, I watched as Alice simply jumped 15 feet in the air over the log.

She looked at me and laughed. "You can do it too. Just jump!"

So I did. I jumped just like I normally would -though a bit hesitantly. I cleared the log and overshot by about 20 meters. _Oh my God._ I landed smoothly, just like Alice –who had appeared beside me again, but I actually saw her move this time. It was inhumanly fast. My eyes followed her, but the rest of the forest seemed to stop. Emmett caught up to us just as fast as Alice.

_How can they move so fast?_ I opened my mouth to ask, but Alice interrupted.

"Carlisle will explain everything to you. You can move like this too, remember?" She started to run and this time, I followed. We moved swiftly through the trees, and in a second we had made it back to the house and in the front doors.

Everybody was in the living room. It was to the right of the door, while the kitchen was to the left. Straight ahead was a staircase upstairs, and a hallway to a back room and the back porch. Every room I could see was huge. Twice the size of normal rooms.

Alice walked to a brown-haired woman. "This is Esme. My adopted mother."

"Hi Rachel. " She smiled sweetly.

She pointed to the bronze haired boy. He appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen years old. "This is Edward. He used to live in Chicago, too."

Edward nodded to me, as a gentleman would do.

Next she pointed to the last woman, a beautiful blonde, about 20 years old. She had her arm wrapped around Emmett. I had a feeling they were together. "That's Rosalie, and you know Emmett."

"Call me Rose. Everybody does." She smiled. (A/N I know Rosalie is mean to Bella, but in this fic, she's okay about Rachel.)

"And of course Carlisle and Jasper." They both smiled at me.

Alice came up to me. "Do you want to sit down so we can talk?"

I nodded, and as I walked to the couch, Edward, Jasper, and Esme walked upstairs. Rose and Emmett went outside -I heard them running south. This left me with Carlisle and Alice, who both sat down. Alice took a seat next to me, and Carlisle sat opposite us on a leather chair.

"Rachel. I need you not to freak out until after we've talked about this, k?' Alice asked.

I nodded, unsure of what to expect. Was I a human robot? Is that why I could jump high and run fast?

Alice looked at Carlisle, who started. "The man you saw, who bit you, was a vampire." He looked at me with a serious expression on his face. "Venom entered your blood system and changed you into one as well. The transformation took three days, all of which you spent here…" He looked at Alice, who looked at me.

"Do you remember, at lunch, when I said I was a vampire?"

I nodded. It was a dim memory, but I could faintly remember joking about it. "Yeah you were kidding, right? I mean, this is all a big prank, or a dream, or –"

"I wasn't joking. My entire adopted family are vampires, Rachel."

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Alice and Carlisle spent the next five hours explaining to me about what happened; what I could do. I had super strength, speed, and senses. I couldn't sleep. I didn't tire. I couldn't even cry or bleed or age. I would stay as I am forever.

Human blood, they told me, would be alluring to me for the first couple years. They recommended I don't see my mother again. This broke me. I dry sobbed into Alice's shoulder for what seemed like hours.

Alice could see the future. Edward came downstairs at one point and told me about his power of reading minds. Alice called Jasper down and had him demonstrate how he could change moods.

Next, I asked Alice why she said she was "late" when she found me. She explained that she had had a vision that was just a fraction of a second before the events took place. She yelled at the bus driver to stop but she knew she was going to be too slow. She got off the bus and ran to where I was, "got rid of the vampire", and carried me to their house.

This whole time, since I had woken up, everything had been extraordinary. I had no choice but to accept it, and my future.

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"We faked your death. Emmett and Edward ripped up your clothes and books, stained them with your blood, and spread them around the forest near your house. Your mother found them and assumed it was an animal attack." Carlisle said. "You are welcome to stay with us. If you do, we'll stay in Mill bay for a couple months then move to the east coast. We would make sure you were far away from anybody you could harm."

I don't know what I would do if it weren't for the Cullens. It was impossible to imagine anything other than going with them.

"That would be great. Yes, thank-you for everyth-." But I was cut off by Alice.

"No problem! Emmett and Rosalie have already been to your house and picked up Teddy and some personal items. They should be back in 7 minutes." She tapped her head when I gave a confused look. "See the future, remember? I knew you were going to say yes before you consciously knew." She laughed.

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The following months I spent getting to know the Cullens and becoming one, myself. I was given a spare room in the upstairs corner. It looked out onto the mountain I now knew as the Mount Jackson. I could only stay near the house because if I went too far, the result would be deadly for whichever poor soul I smelled.

Alice updated me on what was happening in the world and spoiling me with expensive clothes. The Cullens had more money, I noticed, than anybody I had ever known.

Soon, I realized, my time in Mill Bay would be over, and we would be moving on to Pebble Hill, New Brunswick.

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Yay! Another chapter completed! Let me say that I feel a bit more comfortable with this chapter compared to the last chapter… I don't know… you decide.

School starts tomorrow morning, so if I don't upload for a few days, it's not my fault! Goodnight!

~Maux


	5. Plant Life Vampire Life

**This chapter takes place 2 years later… **Don't be mad if you wanted something immediately after! Plz?? *insert puppy-dog-eyes here*

Disclaimer: Don't own it, no matter how nice it would be :P

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I tried not to be to critical about Alice's outfit, but- "Just because it's the newest fashion in Germany doesn't mean it's popular here. C'mon Alice! People are going to stare!"

"Rachel, since when did you care if people stared or not?" But I couldn't respond because she had already stepped out of the Porch. I too, stepped out and was tempted to start the conversation again at vampire speed, but was interrupted by catcalls from the surrounding male body. _Including Jake..._

"Don't zone out, Rachel. Or stare. I know you're about to. Think of someone else." Alice knew who I was thinking about. Don't ask me how, but she knew. I changed my train of thought to our last hunting trip and how funny Rose looked after Emmett pushed her into the river. Not to mention how Emmett looked when Rosalie was through with him.

We entered the doors to Pebble Hill Secondary School and down the hall to our first class, Biology. We had three out of five classes together, thanks to some sweet-talking directed to our teachers. Alice sat down, and I took a chair next to her. It was Thursday morning and most of the class looked half-asleep.

We had been studying about asexual reproduction for the past couple days and today we were starting the movie. _New Beginnings: Life of a Plant_. Sounds fun, doesn't it? The lights dimmed, and for the next hour and fifteen minutes, we watched people talk about how many ways a dandelion could reproduce.

After the movie we pretended to stretch, yawn, and blink as our eyes adjusted to the light.

"Well that was… interesting." Jamey, sitting behind Alice, said to me.

I smiled at him in reply. Alice says that I'm still in touch with my human side, so humans would be more comfortable talking to me than the other Cullens; that doesn't change the fact that when I smile at people, they stare dumbly at my beauty. Although the same thing happens when Alice, Esme, or Rose smile, I still haven't gotten used to it.

By our lockers, after class, Alice suddenly blurted out, "Say yes," smiled, and walked away. I didn't even have a chance to ask what she was talking about.

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It's been almost two years since I left my old new life in Mill Bay, and I think I've adjusted quite well. My name is now Rachel Racine Cullen. I'm supposed to be eighteen years old and graduated, but here I am: looking like I'm sixteen and in grade eleven with a fifty-something year-old girl who looks like she's seventeen. We live in a cute blue house on the edge of Pebble Hill, New Brunswick. It's right on the border to Maine, alone the coast.

Next block –French- I had without any of my siblings. But I had Jake sitting two seats over, instead. Every single French class, I spent trying not to get too close to him, in fear that I'll get too attached and break down when it was time to leave.

_But he could come with us;_ this voice in the back of my head said when I thought of how I couldn't have Jake.

I shook my head to clear it of these thoughts and continued listening to Madame Leduc. I already knew French, but attended anyways. Unlike humans, I had perfect memory so I wouldn't have to be reminded about things every twenty seconds. Of course, I would 'accidentally' make a spelling mistake or 'mess up' on my irregular verbs every once in a while, just to make me look human.

After class, when I was walking out the door into the hallway, I sensed Jake coming up to me. When he stopped infront of me, I could hardly hold in my smile. _So this is what Alice was talking about._

"Hi Rachel. Listen, Are you busy tonight? I was hoping we could go see a movie." Jake was one of the most popular guys in school. And he was playing it pretty cool about asking me out.

"Sure, I guess. What did you want to see?" I held back my smile to a minimal. Jake, on the other hand, momentarily lost his cool. Until him, I had turned down every guy until they had taken the hint I wasn't interested. I raised an eyebrow at him when he didn't answer.

"Oh! Uh, how 'bout _Vampires_? You know, with Daniel Baldwin in it."

I had to smile at it. Did Alice talk to him and help him plan this? No, she couldn't have been able to come up with something like that.

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The rest of the day went by smoothly. Alice confirmed at lunch that she did, indeed, know about Jake in advance but didn't want to spoil it too much.

In the afternoon, Alice and I had gym. We were playing indoor soccer because it was February and the field was frozen.

Matt sent the ball straight to the end of the gym to Austun's feet. He kicked it across the net just in time for me to tap it in.

"Yeah! Sweet goal Rach!"

The opposing goalie kicked the ball back to centre and we started again.

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School was over and Edward drove us home. When we got there, I went straight up to my room and into my walk-in closet. It was 3:30, and Jake was picking me up at 6:30. That gave me three hours to find something appropriate to wear. _Oh, not enough time!_

I couldn't decide, so I jumped into the shower. I got out, wrapped myself in a towel, and then put on some perfume. I smell like lavenders already, but Esme says that if I put some on, I can at least have an explanation ready if someone asks.

"Alice," I said, "Can you come up and help me out?"

She was upstairs in a flash. She walked into the closet and handed me a nice purple flower skirt, simple blouse, and white 4-inch heels with a pink flower on the toe.

"That's… perfect!" I said.

"Ok, now slow down and waste some time. It's only 3:36 and he'll be here at 6:34. Waste some time and move slowly or else you'll be pacing the entire time." Alice said this very calmly. I hadn't realized until she'd pointed it out, but I had been moving super fast since I walked in the front door.

Eventually I was ready. Alice said I would have a good time, and to just watch TV while I waited. He would be here in 20 minutes, so I paced.

…and paced …and paced.

"Rach! Would you _please_ sit down?" Jasper yelled at me from the couch. So I did.

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A knock at the door told me Jake was here. "How do I look?" I asked Alice.

She rolled her eyes at me. "_Get_ _going!_ He's gonna knock again if you don't answer the door," Her eyes went blank and a smile took a place on her face, "On second thought, let him. It won't make you look too eager. That just looks bad. He had high expectations for you."

"Okay, but seriously. How's my hair?"

Her knocked again.

"Fine. Now go." She gave me the signal to carry on. I ran to the door vampire-speed and swung it open.

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Hey guys… well, you must have guessed who she has fallen in love with :P but can you guess what happens?

I don't think I have Alice's personality spot-on. Is that just my writing, or what? Any pointers?

I had been working on this chapter for a couple days now that schools started... so again, sorry it I don't update for a while. Leave me a review! It makes me happy!

~Maux


	6. Vampire Movie Vampire Thirst

Hey Guys!

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but schools been crazy and field hockey season had started- I'm on two teams that practice two times per week _each_, not including games. So again, I apologize, and hope to make it up to you!

Chapter 6 I think. Right? This is chapter six? I hope so, cuz that's what I'm labeling it :P btw- I know cell phones weren't common or small in the late 1990s, but deal with it.

Disclaimer: Rachel and all the characters you probably don't recognize are mine! …I only wish I had the entire Cullen family… which I don't.

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There he stood, as gorgeous as ever, in an Abercrombie & Fitch t-shirt, jeans, and basketball runners. His brown hair waved in the soft breeze. I could hear his heart beat faster as he took in my outfit.

"H-hi," Jake gulped and collected himself then started more confidently, "Hey, Rachel."

"Heya. Let me grab my purse, one sec." I turned around and saw Edward cringing slightly. _Hey, what's up with you?_

"You do _not_ want to know what he is thinking right now." Edward whispered at me.

I winked then picked up my purse and left for the most life-changing experience of my after-life.

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Jake helped me inside his beat-up yellow Corolla, then closed the door and jogged to the driver's side. The seats smelled slightly moldy, but probably not noticeable for a human nose. A "new car" air freshener hung from the rear-view mirror and the back seat had a large mustard stain on it.

_Pretty good for a first car,_ I thought, but a millisecond later I heard Edwards laugh from inside. _Oh shut up,_ I sighed.

Jake got in and started the engine. Surprisingly, it purred to life without a complaint.

"I really like that skirt on you." Jake said.

"Oh thanks. It's actually my sister's, but I borrow it from time-to-time."

The rest of the car ride was spent with small talk. We told each other about our favorite movies, cars, and sports. He claimed to like Austin Powers, Camaros, and soccer, which was almost the complete opposite of my choices: Beverly Hills Ninja, Volkswagens, and basketball.

When we got to the theatre he paid for my admission, just like one would expect from a gentleman. We sat down near the back and got settled just in time for _Vampires_ to start.

-----------------

Let me say that _those_ vampires and _real_ vampires are _nothing_ alike. I mean, fangs? Coffins? Get real, really. I must admit, though, that I only saw the first twelve minutes of the show, thanks to Jake. I didn't mind. That is, until he started kissing my neck. That just threw me overboard.

I hadn't hunted for a couple weeks. Thinking back, I should have gone that afternoon before Jake picked me up. I was _thirsty._

I had no control over myself. This was a _very_ dangerous thing. I stood up and pulled him out of the theatre and into the alley beside the building, so fast he was running behind me just trying to keep his arm on.

In the back of my mind I heard my phone ringing. Alice. I didn't have much time before one of my siblings showed up to stop me.

I pushed the human up against the wall, "Rach- aren't we moving a little fast?"

"Not fast enough." I kissed him on the lips then moved down his chin and to his neck. Thump. Thump. Thump. It was beating faster. I looked at his face, covered in sweat, and bit into his jugular.

Rich, thick, warm. The life-giving liquid ran down my throat. The burning stopped. The human stopped struggling. And soon, the blood ran dry. That had been the best thing I had ever tasted.

I took a step back and as I looked at Jake's body lying pale and lifeless against the wall, the reality of what I had just done slammed into me like a pile of bricks. My phone was ringing, but all I could do was stand there and look at my broken date.

It has started off so great. Why did this always happen? First I was turned into a vampire, now I was staring at a body which I just murdered. _Murderer._ A voice whispered in the back of my mind.

"No. No no no no no. I'm not. I couldn't be. Why?" I sobbed. Just then a thought came to me. I couldn't go back to Carlisle like this. I was ashamed.

So I ran. I didn't know where I was going, but that didn't matter. I just needed _out_. Needed time to think. To be myself. Accept myself. I had to.

----------------

I was far out of Pebble Hill by the time I got annoyed and decided to answer my ever-ringing cell phone.

"Alice, I'm sorry. Just let me go." I huffed in to phone.

"It's Rose."

"Oh. Well, then. I assume Alice has explained the situation?" I asked.

"Yes, but we need you at home. You can't just _leave!_ We're a family here. Esme and Carlisle both want you back. Please don't go." Was Rosalie… begging?

"I can't. Okay? You didn't see him lying there. It was _wrong_, and I caused it. Let Carlisle know that I'm sorry. I'm going to use the Bank of Suisse account. I'll call you to update later." I was making this up on the spot. No way was I going to update. I might have to use my credit card later, but I was going into the bush.

"Rachel! Don't-" But I hung up and shoved the phone in my pocket.

---------------

The last sign I saw was "Thanks for Visiting Dolbeau, Quebec", which is -if I remember correctly- around eight hundred kilometers from the small town of Pebble Hill, New Brunswick.

I ran straight past the _dead end_ signs and into the forest of northern Quebec.

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I know, big turn of events, right? This one is a bit shorter than the other chapters, but I thought now would be a good time to stop. Better to have something rather than nothing, eh? Yeah, thought so.

I'm going to bed now! Night night! See you all soon! Hopefully I'll update by next weekend… k?

~Maux


	7. Human Heartbeat Human Memory

Sorry for the delay! I had an idea pop into my head about one of my favorite books and I had to get it typed out. It's my version of what happens after the _Transall Saga_. You should really check it out. Well, _I _think you should, anyways.

Here's Chapter Seven! (I can't believe I've already uploaded this many! Woot!)

Disclaimer: I only own Rachel. I wouldn't mind a present or two from Stephenie Meyer though!

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The guilt of killing Jake had tipped me over the edge. I cried tearlessly, collapsed in the middle of Quebec's forests. I didn't think I was capable of something so monstrous. I mean, Jake wasn't my soul-mate or anything -at least, not that I could tell- but he had a family and friends. A life to live. And I cut it short.

For days, I wandered around. I refused to feed. Nothing could make me take another life, whether it was human or animal. I was thinking of what my mom must have gone through when I 'died'. Emmett brought me my obituary when I was stuck in the Cullen home. I found it as closure. Rachel Racine died, but Rachel Cullen was born. I was okay with that. But then I got angry.

I turned mad. I couldn't believe the vampire who turned me would just pick a random person_. Why me?_

Because he changed me, I lost my humanity. He caused me to kill Jake. If I wasn't with the Cullens, how many more people would I have killed? Hundreds?

I know that Edward had a bad record in his body count. Jasper was worse than Edward. Emmett only drank from his singer. Rose killed but didn't drink. Carlisle was completely clean. Alice was clean, and Esme- I never actually had a chance to talk to her about that. I assume she was pretty clean, too.

I just ruined my chances of going five years without any blood on my hands. That was my goal. After that, I would have mastered my control over my thirst.

All I wanted as to be free of this curse. Be free of this life. Free of who I was forced to become. I wanted to be invisible to the world and live in my personal heaven forever.

It was that moment, the moment I thought about being free, that I felt different. I walked some more and found myself unstable. I tripped and fell into some bushes. Wait…. _Fell?_ Vampires don't just _fall_.

I stood up and looked at my hands and for the first time in two years they were pink. Not white. I didn't see every detail of my surroundings or hear the river kilometers away. The smells faded. The colours I once saw disappeared. I sensed the same things a human would. I looked again at my hands and saw a little speck of blood on my hand. _Blood. Real blood. _I could bleed!

I smiled but that quickly turned into a frown. "But I'm hundreds of kilometers from civilization. I'll die out here if I'm human." I mumbled to myself. My stomach actually chose that time to tell me it was hungry, not my throat.

I started panicking. I shouldn't have asked for this. I didn't want to die. I wasn't ready. I didn't want to spend my last days in the middle of nowhere surrounded by moss and puddles and deer.

Just then, my senses came back full force, like a wall hitting me, filling me with enhanced vision, hearing, touch, and smell. I jumped up and started running as fast as I could towards New Brunswick, where the Cullens were.

-----------------

I made it to the edge of Pebble Hill about an hour later, just when the sun was setting. I paused and thought of what I was going to say when I got there. I know I had been gone around a week with no explanation, but Alice must have seen me come home.

I ran the rest of the way across town to the other side and ran in the door. I was still a bit freaked-out from the human-not-human thing, but maybe they could help me figure it out.

Alice and Jasper were in the Living room playing cards. Alice looked at me and whispered, "Carlisle's upstairs. I told him about what happened in the forest."

I nodded a thank you and walked human speed up the stairs to Carlisle's study. I before I could knock, he opened the door and motioned for me to come inside. I could tell he was thinking hard when he told me to sit down.

"Rachel, I'm not going to say what happened to Jake was okay. It tragic, but we are going to make sure nothing like that happens again. I'm sure you would agree?" Carlisle said this in a fatherly, understanding voice.

I nodded. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't control myself. You have no idea how much I want to take back what happened. "

"I don't doubt that. But Alice says something else happened to you just recently?"

My mind gratefully switched topics. "Oh! It was the weirdest thing! One second I'm standing there, wishing I had never been turned, and the next, everything about me changed back to human. I saw less, felt less. I actually craved a burger and fries. It was an amazing feeling.

"When I realized I had lost my powers and would have died out there, my abilities came back, just like I was pushed into a pool of power." I shook , my head. "What happened?"

"Well, I think the answer is obvious. You discovered your gift." Carlisle looked at me and smiled. "Whenever you yearn to become human, you lose your vampire traits. Vice versa to become a vampire."

His expression turned thoughtful. "I wonder if your memory is affected. Do you think you could try to become human right now?"

I looked at him. _I have a power?_ _I could be normal! I could act like a normal human being. I could visit mom. _"I guess I could try…"

I closed my eyes and thought of how much I wanted that hamburger. How much I wanted to see mom again and fit in like a normal girl. Then, I felt myself become weaker again and the room was silent. _Human senses. _I opened my eyes and took in the new view of Carlisle's office. I looked at Carlisle for the first time with normal eyes. The minor imperfections I had noticed with my vampire eyes disappeared and he became a perfect figure.

"Amazing," I heard Carlisle say as he looked at my pink skin. "You have a heartbeat. I assume you have to breathe?"

I took a breath and felt satisfaction is doing so. I tried to stop breathing and ended up gasping for air just seconds later. "Yes," I said after recovering. Carlisle chuckled lightly at me then got back to his examination.

"Your memory. I need to know if things you read as a vampire are still imprinted in your mind in detail, as well as things you read as a human.

"What book did you read two weeks ago?" He asked.

"Sports Injuries. By Malcolm Read and Paul Wade." I said. "It was an informational book we were assigned by the gym teacher to read."

"Hmm. Good book" I smiled at Carlisle. He knew almost every book I could name. "And can you quote a paragraph word-for-word that was in the book?"

"Okay. 'Even if you are generally fit, you still need to be specifically fit for the rigours of your particular task. Methodical exercise rather than violent, sudden efforts should be used to build up the correct balance of flexibility, strength and endurance. In sports, a good coaching book will set out the exercises required.'"

"Good. Well, it seems like your immortal memory still remains. Now, "He fished in his pocket for a deck of playing cards, took them out, and handed them to me. "Look through them and don't mess up the order."

I did as I was told. I saw all of the cards and handed the deck back to Carlisle when I finished. "Tell me the order of the cards from the top to bottom."

"Huh. Well, I know the top one was a heart. I don't know which number. I forget the rest." I smiled sheepishly.

He laughed. "Well, it seems your human memory will remain very… human."

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Please R&R! If you review, you'll get a chapter by Monday! Tell me what you think! I was excited to be able to give Rachel a power :P Do you like it? My second choice was flight…

~Maux


	8. Good Bagel Great Chocolate

Oh my! It feels like it's been forever since I updated… Well… I've been brainstorming about what to do next and came up with some weird situations-- one of which involves birthday-cake flavoured ice cream. Mmmm…. That would be really good right now.

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em and never will unless I suddenly become a billionaire and buy Stephenie Meyer out.

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"So if I have to breathe and stuff, will I age?" I asked Carlisle.

"I don't-"

"No!" Alice yelled from downstairs. Suddenly she was in the doorway. My eyes couldn't keep up with her. "You're stuck like that, but you _are_ able to get hurt, just like a normal person. Don't ask me anything else, though. That's all I've been able to see." Next thing I know, Alice is gone and it's just me and Carlisle again.

"Thanks Alice." I mumbled.

I didn't know if that was a relief or not. I mean, it would be great to be able to live like a normal person, but I kind of liked the fact that I couldn't die. At least I have the option to go out in public and not be tempted. I could stop myself from doing anything like I did to Jake.

I had a thought just then. "I'm going into town. I need some time to think." I changed back into a vampire and was out of the room before Carlisle could reply.

When I got downtown I went to the Internet Café and looked up flights from Fredericton to Vancouver Island. They weren't cheap, but I booked one for the next morning. I was going back to my mother.

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I walked thought the door and was bombarded by Alice. Good thing I was still a vampire because she tackled me with enough force to push me back out the door onto the front lawn in a hug.

"Why would you do that? Why would you leave? Aren't we your family now? Don't! I don't want to lose my sister!" She was practically hysterical.

"Hey, Alice, it's alright. I'll be back. You aren't losing me!" I tried to soothe her. "If you let me go, you can come with me for a couple days."

She got off me. I stood up and looked down at her. She looked a bit smug for someone who was so upset a second ago. "I know. I already booked my ticket, too."

Just as I comprehended what she was saying, Esme and Carlisle shifted in the doorway, catching my attention. Esme looked torn up. Carlisle just wrapped his arm tighter around her. I walked up to them and took them both in a hug.

"I have to do this. You know I do. You have to understand. I just miss her so much. I left her alone."

They both just nodded.

I ran went upstairs and packed a backpack full of clothes. I grabbed my passport, wallet, cash, and my cell and shoved them in my Lululemon bag.

When I got back downstairs I found Edward, Jasper, Emmett, and Rose in the living room. I hugged them each and said a quick goodbye. When I got to Rose, she almost didn't let me go.

"Just promise me you'll be careful. Don't do anything crazy, kay?" She said.

"I promise. I'll come back, but I just need some time."

"Oh, and good luck. I hope this works out well for you. I'll make sure to keep you updated about what happening here. Do the same." Rose gave me one last squeeze before letting me go.

My adopted parents were still in the doorway. "Thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me."

"I think I have an idea. Have a safe trip." Carlisle said and gave me a sweet smile.

I turned to Esme; she kissed my forehead and gave me a small push out the front door. "Go see your mother. Give her a miracle."

Alice was already in the car with Jasper. He would be driving us to the Fredericton airport. With one last look at my Pebble Hill house, I got in the red Porsche.

------------

We had driven for a few hours to get to Fredericton. When we arrived in the airport parking lot, the sun was still down but would be rising within the hour.

Alice gave a goodbye kiss to Jasper. As they did, I got my bags out of the trunk and went inside to check us in. Alice caught up with me just as I finished.

Before we went through security, I whispered to Alice. "I'm going to be human. Do you think anyone will notice?"

She nodded to the security guard a few feet away. "He will. He'll be a bit freaked out about it. I mean, normal people don't just suddenly go from stunningly beautiful to not-so-beautiful in a blink on an eye. Do it in the bathroom. I'll wait with out bags out here."

I did as she said. It felt almost good to be human. I wasn't overloaded with sound and colours and scents. It was like everything was toned down a hundred notches. But at the same time, I felt like I wasn't as much as I used to be. I felt weak and fragile. A small price to pay, I suppose.

We were on the plane in an hour and landing in Toronto a few hours after that. We had an hour to waste before our next flight and we ended up playing cards on the floor of the waiting area. Alice won each of the nineteen games and wasn't slowing down. I refused to let her win. I would go down fighting if I had to, but I needed to win at least _one_ game.

Suddenly, my stomach made a gurgling noise. _What the…?_

Alice let out a string of giggles. "You're hungry, aren't you?" She stood up and held out a hand to help me up, too.

For the first time in over two years, I ate human food. A blueberry bagel with cream cheese. It didn't taste like dirt, but I always remembered food tasting better than that. I guess blood messed up my taste buds a bit.

With a few minutes before we started loading, Alice lead me into a small book store. She grabbed two books I had never heard of before and three chocolate bars. I raised an eyebrow at her after she paid.

"The books are for entertainment. Humans have a short patience, and you are one at the moment. Chocolate is to remind you about how good food can be." She smiled.

"Good idea." I laughed.

A thought occurred to me as we walked back to our seats. "Did my mom move on? I mean, is she alright? Did she marry again?"

"I already checked. And I don't want to give too much away, but she's still single and living in the same house. She really misses you still." Alice trailed off.

I nodded and absentmindedly bit into a chocolate bar. I couldn't think of anything else but the amazingly rich flavour. My mother and her life could wait until I finished it.

We loaded the new plane and spent the next few hours thinking of what sort of explanation to give my mom when we arrived.

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That was the chapter! Let me know what you think by pressing that little button below!

I'll upload the next one as soon as possible!

~Maux


	9. Hello Mom Hello Rachel

I think I like where this story is going :) Anybody else agree??

Ha! I had the best day today… I think. I looked on my facebook account and saw that the guy I liked sent me a message. It went something like this: _Well, want to get together sometime today? Unless it is short notice. Anyways see you in school._

Hahaha… I told him I'd like to, so that's all cool. :D Back to the story!

Disclaimer: Don't own any of the things you recognize. Rachel and her mom are mine though. That sounds kinda creepy, doesn't it?

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We landed in Victoria at 6.25 and were on the road in a blue BMW X5 soon after.

It took half an hour to drive from the airport to Mill Bay, and let me say that it was the longest half hour of my life, even though Alice was driving. She spent the entire ride talking, and even though I wasn't paying attention to what she was rambling about, I suddenly felt very happy about her being there with me. She was like a lifeline I had to calmness. And calm was what I needed.

My heart beat harder in my chest as we drove down the highway. I still couldn't believe the feeling of my blood pumping; I thought I would never feel it again. _Th-thump Th-thump Th-thump._

By 7.16 we had entered Mill Bay.

We had turned onto my old road, but still had a few minutes left before we got to my mom's driveway. Alice pressed just a bit harder down on the accelerator. I had never expected to be back on that road, after I had accepted what I was.

"I'm going to drop you off so you can have some time to talk to her. I'll be back around nine, okay?" Alice pulled up infront of a light blue two-story house with a wrap-around porch. It was raining heavily, puddles scattered across the gravel path to the front door.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. _I can't believe I'm about to do this._ I opened my eyes and looked at Alice.

"See you then. And wish me luck!" I jumped out of the rental car and slammed the door before Alice could respond. I ran up the steps to the porch where I tuned and gave Alice a quick thumbs-up. She drove off, probably to do some hunting or visit the old house.

The doorbell suddenly became a lot more important that it really was, in my opinion. I reached out and closed my eyes as I pressed it. _Oh God, I hope she doesn't faint._

Almost immediately I could heard loud footsteps going down the stairs. A click as the lock opened, and the squeaky hinges rubbing as the door swung open.

Standing in the doorway was a short, tired-looking, red-haired woman who resembled my mother, but looking ten years older than she did when I had last saw her. She had a serious air about her, like she had seen and heard it all, and not to fool her. But as soon as she took in my human figure, all of that seemed to drop.

All she looked like was a scared old woman with wide eyes and a dropped jaw.

"Hi mom." Was all I could say before the door slammed in my face.

Shocked, I gave the door a slight knock and said, "Mom? It's really me! Open the door, please? We need to talk."

I gave it another knock and was about to go around the side of the house to look in a window when the door opened again. I stood there, waiting for my mom to invite me in. When she didn't, I tried again.

"Mom, it's me."

She opened the door wider and I took that as a sign to go inside. I slipped off my runners and followed my mother into the living room. She sat down in a loveseat while I sat down across from her in a leather chair. The room looked unfamiliar. After all, I had only spent a couple day living at that house, and even then everything was still in boxes. My mother had set it up with all the old furniture, plus a couple carpets and tables she had picked to fill the empty space.

She still had a faraway look on her face, like she was trying to convince herself that everything was happening. A tear slid down her cheek.

"What happened?" was all she said to me.

How could I answer that? It was such a simple question, but such a complex answer. I strained to remember what Alice and I had decided to tell her, but couldn't.

"I-I don't know." It was all I could say. "I mean, you probably wouldn't believe me, and I can't tell you because you would be in danger." I felt something wet on my face and put my hand up to touch it. I was crying. _Wait…. Crying? Since when can I cry?_ Not only was I crying, but both my eyes were filled to the top with tears.

I looked up and saw my mom looking at me with a questioning look. "What's wrong with crying?" She asked before she broke down in sobs. "Rachel, it's you. It's really you, Rachel, Rachel, my baby. I missed you."

I rushed over to sit beside her and hugged her tightly. She fell into my embrace with desperation; like holding on to me would prove that was I real. We sat like that for a long time.

---------------

When we finally broke apart, we had calmed down enough to think. My mother would want an explanation, but I knew I couldn't give her one. I hoped to be able to answer some of her questions, though.

She looked at me and held my hand. "Where have you been? It's been two years, for goodness sake! I don't care it it's dangerous, just tell me something!"

He voice was heavy. She was tired, I could tell, but wouldn't go to sleep unless I told her something.

"First off, I wasn't attacked by wolves or any type of animal. That was just set up by some of the people I've been with."

My mom's face lit up with shock. "Set up? Why? Why would they do that? Why would they take you away?"

"They needed everybody to think I was dead. If certain event hadn't come to pass recently, I probably would have never seen you again. I can't tell you _why_ I was taken away, but I can say that I've changed a lot in the past couple years. More than you should probably know." I shot her a look that said 'don't push it, switch the subject'.

Mom, of course, ignored me. "Was this some kind of government top-secret project or something? That's why you can't tell me anything? It is, isn't it?" She looked proud at her conclusion, but I had to giggle at it.

"Mom, it's not like that. I doubt the government even knows about this, so don't go after them. And don't blame the people I was with, either. They have been great to me in my current… situation." It was true. The Cullen's were my family -still are, actually.

I looked at the clock above the TV. It was just past eight.

"So where have you been staying, then?" Mom asked.

"I've been in New Brunswick, close to the U.S. border, living with some people in the same situation as me. They took me in when everything started." I said. "They're called the Cullens. One of them came with me. Her name's Alice. She dropped me off here then went for a drive."

"When will she be back? Should we set up a place for her to sleep?"

_I wonder if I can sleep. _Suddenly I yawned, answering myself. _Probably._

"Um, yeah, I guess. She should be here at-" I was cut off by the doorbell.

My mom got up to answer it. I followed behind her, only to see Alice standing there with a smile on her face.

"Mom, this is her."

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Well I think that went pretty good! I'll update soon, so don't worry about waiting. Hopefully by next weekend –it not then, before.

Please R&R. I like reviews. And being favorited. And chocolate. And Tea. And the guy who asked me out. :P

Everybody have a good week! See y'all later :)

~Maux


	10. Same Kitchen Same Bed

So... How's everybody been? Have a good week?

It is soo cold right now. I have my sweatshirt on, the fire is going behind me, and I have, like, 8 layers of socks on. But I'm not going anywhere because I'm determined to write.

Disclaimer: Alice and the Cullens aren't mine, nor is Stephenie Meyer's version of vampires. I'm not earning anything from writing this, except maybe a happier mood. :D

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My mother opened the door wider to let Alice in.

"Thanks, Ms. Racine." Alice said before stepping inside. She feigned curiosity as she took a look around the house, even though she already knew what it looked like from any visions she had.

"What a beautiful house you have. And thanks for having me here. I know it all must be a bit much for you. " Alice had a knowing smile. I hoped she wouldn't push her knowledge too far without my mom noticing.

She looked at me. "Rach, we need to get the bags out of the car, mind helping?"

"Sure," I looked at my mom as I slipped on my shoes, "Be right back." She nodded as I followed my sister out the door.

I suppose it was a good opportunity for my mom to think, if only for a few minutes. If I was her, I would have been freaked-out at seeing my daughter on my doorstep after being dead for two years. I would have run upstairs and called the police, I'd be so scared. All in all, my mom was talking it pretty well.

It was raining lightly now -not enough to be an annoyance. Alice unlocked the back door. Neither of us had much, so everything was just put in the back seat.

As I collected my things, Alice started talking. "That went pretty well, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess. I assume you watched the whole thing?"

"Bits-and-pieces, yeah. Enough to know when to knock on the door." She smiled.

I laughed. "Good timing, by the way."

"As always." She replied. "Oh, have a nice sleep tonight, eh?"

"You're kidding!? That's awesome! I wonder if I'll dream…"

Alice laughed. We finished grabbing our bags and headed towards the porch again. When we stepped in the front door, my mother wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"She went upstairs to get me a couple blankets. She's planning on setting up the couch for me to sleep on." Alice said. "She's quite a nice woman, your mother." Alice walked into the living room and set down her things beside the couch.

I smiled. "I know, she's always been like that."

I heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and turned in time to see my mother with some blankets, just like Alice said. "I hope you don't mind the couch." She said, placing them on the coffee table, then took the top one off, unfolded it, and put it on the couch as a bottom sheet. She placed the blanket over that, and put a pillow on one end.

"Voila! A bed fit for a princess." She said, then turned to Alice, "I imagine you must be tired. Help yourself to the kitchen food and bathroom. I'll be upstairs if you need anything."

"Thank you so much, I'll see you tomorrow morning." Alice said.

"I'll be right up, too. Is my bed still there?" I asked my mom.

"Yeah, it is. But your blanket and sheets are in the closet. I'll go get it ready for you." She turned on her heels, going back upstairs.

So my mother was being great about this, I just didn't want her to have a breakdown later. I couldn't hear her moving around upstairs, which bugged me, but I was sure Alice would make sure nothing strange happened. Besides, I wanted to try sleeping. First, though, I needed something to eat.

"I need something to eat, Alice. Did you go hunting while you were gone?" I asked as I walked towards the kitchen.

"No, just for a drive around the town." She followed me in and sat at the table in the corner.

I went straight to the fridge and got out some milk. "Where's the cereal?" I said to Alice.

"The corner cupboard near the dishwasher."

I went there and pulled out some Cheerios. _A safe selection,_ I thought as I saw some of the locally made cereal. _Who knows what they put in that crap._ And honestly, it really didn't look good. My mom had always been a health addict. She usually shopped at local stores, only buying local foods. Of course, she had normal food too, just not as much.

I looked through some of the small drawers and found a spoon, but had to ask Alice where my mom kept the bowls. I had always remembered the kitchen having wallpaper with forget-me-not flowers on it, but I suppose my mom had painted it, because now it was just a light yellow.

I settled into the chair across from Alice and ate my cereal. _Not bad for a first dinner._

The look on Alice's face was full of disgust. "That looks gross."

"It's actually not bad. I think it needs some chocolate, though."

Alice burst out laughing. But I was dead serious. I guess she got the point when I didn't start laughing with her, so she tried to calm herself down.

"Chocolate? Oh my. You need to try ice cream –oh shoot. I should _not_ have said that."

My eyes shot up. I remembered how much I loved that stuff! I hurried to finish my cereal, put my things in the dishwasher, and went to the freezer.

Chocolate ice cream. Perfect. It was front and center in the freezer. I got out the whole tub and picked out another spoon.

----------------

Alice took the ice cream away before I could eat too much. She sent me to bed, and settled into her blanket. It probably wasn't all that comforting, but it was just a human instinct to snuggle up in a blanket. She turned the TV on with the volume on very low.

"Your mom's already in bed. Try to be quiet." Alice whispered to me.

"Okay. Thanks for coming with me."

I picked up my bags and walked up to my old bedroom. My mom hadn't unpacked any of my old things. The boxes were still on the floor where I put them when we moved in. A sudden fatigue hit me just then. I turned off my light, and in my clothes, slid under the covers of my bed.

"Goodnight Alice." Was all I said.

For the fist time in two years, I slept.

x0x0x0x

Ok, that one was a bit shorter, but it was a nice place to stop, don't you think?

I'm getting lonely talking to myself! Please R&R

~Maux


	11. Sun Rising Sun Setting

Hey! You guys have no idea how busy I am this weekend.

1) Hockey tournament Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

2) Indoor field hockey tournament Sunday after the school one.

3) Halloween, duh!

4) Work :(

5) Twilight on DVD. I just had a sudden urge to watch it.

6) Homework, lots of it.

You are so lucky I'm so committed to writing this fic, because here I am, writing this chapter in the middle of all my other commitments! Woot! Here it is…

PS: As much as I'd like to, I don't own any of the characters you recognize :(

x0x0x0x

I'd like to say that I dreamed of lollipops and candycanes, but that would be an outright lie. In fact, it wasn't even a dream I had- it was a nightmare.

I was running through the forest, but couldn't run fast enough. There was something chasing me; I didn't know what, but I knew that if it caught me everything would be over. It didn't matter that I was immortal, either.

I was cutting thought creek beds, jumping over bushes and logs, but I could tell it was gaining on me. My footsteps were loud, but I could hear louder ones coming closer. Up ahead was a spot of light- the edge of the forest, and beyond that I heard cars passing by.

I forced myself to pick up my pace and run faster but the footsteps kept up with me. Before I could reach safety, a hand grabbed my shoulder from behind, and I woke up.

Alice was sitting on the edge of my bed when I suddenly sat up, sweating.

She gave me a worried look as I collected myself. "I'm sorry I didn't see that happening. You okay?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. I was actually hoping my first night's sleep would be a good one, but I guess the gods are against me."

Alice stood up and walked to the door, turning to face me before she left. "Don't worry; you won't have any more bad dreams tonight."

"Okay, thanks Alice. I'll see you in the morning," I said as she closed the door.

I was left alone again, but before going back to sleep I changed into my pajamas. Alice had probably placed them on my desk, knowing I was going to change into them.

The dream had startled me, so I grabbed my blanket and sat in my old window seat. I remembered that when my mom was looking at houses on the internet, she saw the picture of the window seat and was in immediately love with this house. She originally was going to take my room for herself, but when we arrived, she made the mistake of giving me first pick of the bedrooms.

It was still raining out, and it actually comforted me to hear the drops hitting the roof. I wrapped myself tight in the blanket and settled myself in. I think that now I can admit of being too scared to go back to sleep, but then, I was fighting to keep my eyes open. I didn't want to face something in a dream world where anything was possible. I eventually lost the battle with my eyes and nodded off again.

----------------

This time, when I woke up, the sun was shining in through my window. My muscles were cramped from being squished into the window seat, but I had to smile at the feeling. It made me feel human.

I rolled off the seat onto the floor with a loud_ thump_ and a grumble. _I bet Alice is getting a good laugh out of this._

I picked myself up off the wood floor, found myself a pair of jeans with a purple tank top, and sluggishly got into them. I was surprised, though, when I felt the distantly-familiar urge to go pee. So off I went; across the hall and into the bathroom.

Let me skip to when I looked in the mirror and saw myself. For the first time, I actually looked semi-normal. I wasn't stunningly beautiful, my red hair was a rat's nest, and my cheeks were pink. The girl in the reflection smiled a pretty smile, though.

When I got downstairs, Alice was sitting at the table in the kitchen with my mom. There was a comfortable feeling in the air, but they weren't talking at all. Mom turned to me when I came around the corner.

"Rachel! Nice to see you're up! How about some pancakes?"

_Mmm… Those sound good._ "Sure. Are they ready?"

She got up and walked towards the stove, "The batter is, so I'll put some on for you now."

"Thanks mom." I took the spare seat beside my sister. She, unlike myself, looked as she always did. Pixie-like and stunning. She was sitting behind a plate that looked like it had syrup on it. _Poor Alice, mom probably insisted that she ate._

"I was just explaining to your mom that I was going to head back east. I booked a flight for tomorrow morning." Alice said.

This came as a shock to me. "What? I thought you were going to at least spend a _week_ here!"

"I was, but I talked to Edward last night," She sneaked at peak at my mom, who was listening from the stove, "and he said that Jasper has had some close calls with controlling his diet. He needs some moral support."

"Oh, well I guess that's okay then." I said.

My mom was a bit too curious, though. "Who's Jasper?"

Alice gave me a wink and turned to my mother. "Jasper's my boyfriend. He had a tough childhood, though, and became anorexic. He's healthy now, but slips up sometimes when he's stressed. I guess when I left he was a bit stressed."

"Really? That's terrible, but I'm sure he's happy to have someone like you." My mother turned back to the stove to check the pancakes. Then she got out a plate, put them on, and brought them to me.

"Thanks mom, they smell great! You know, I haven't had pancakes since you last served them to me?"

She laughed. "I don't believe you. You must have had some since then."

"Nope. I hope these are as good as I remember." I took a bite. They really were good, too.

As I ate, I watched my mom cleaning up the kitchen. She seemed like she took my return pretty well. She still had some work to do to get rid of the old, worn-out look she had last night, but I could see a layer of happiness coming out from underneath. It was nice to see her change so much overnight.

She had a mug of tea on the counter, which she sipped on occasionally. Alice and I questioned her about what had happened in the past couple years. Apparently, my mom had taken quite a long time to recover from my disappearance. She said there was a search for me, but only lasted a couple weeks. She had found it hard without closure, but had slowly gotten over it.

She even tried to date someone. I didn't last long- they went on a couple dates, but it didn't work out. I really was proud of her for that. After dad, I didn't think she would try again, but I guess I was wrong. Aside from all that, she had gotten a steady job as a teacher at my old school for a day, Mill Bay High, as a math teacher.

----------------

I finished breakfast, and then Alice and I went out for the day. Mom needed to go to school, but I told her that I just need some time to talk with Alice. We drove to the edge of town and parked behind a restaurant, and then I quickly changed into a vampire. It was becoming easier for me to adjust to the different feelings; I was getting used to it.

We ran around the Island, but even for us, it took a few hours. We started by going north on the east side- it was a beautiful run along the water. At one point, we saw some killer whales coming up for air. They were beautiful. We crossed over to the west coast of the island, and stopped along the beach.

I sat on the rocks with Alice. She looked apologetic at me. "I'm sorry I have to go so quickly. I promise I'll visit if you ask me to come."

"It's alright. If you want, you, Esme and Rose could come out next year for Christmas. My mom would love Esme, I'm sure."

Alice smiled, "That sounds like fun. I'll talk to them." She closed her eyes and went into what I recognized as a vision. A few second later, she opened them again and nodded. "As long as everything goes as planned, they will come with me."

"Good. I think I really hurt Esme by leaving, though. Can you tell her that I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly?"

"Don't worry about her. She knows that you needed your mom," Alice told me, "If it makes you feel better, she's happy that you went back home. She misses you, but figures that your mom is more important."

"Well, tell her that she will always be my mom."

We looked at the ocean for the next hour. The sun was setting, filling the sky with sweet oranges and reds. I could see every detail of the view; the seagulls, the waves, the spots of cloud. I could even see rain falling far to the north.

When the sun finally set, we ran the rest of the way home, cutting through the middle of the island instead of along the coast.

I changed human again when we got to the car and were home by 7.00. We ate a steak dinner (much to the dislike of Alice, who kept sending me disgusted looks when my mom wasn't looking) and went to bed early after a quick shower.

The next morning, Alice woke me up to say goodbye then drove herself to the airport for a 6.30 flight. She left me with my mom and the life I thought I had lost for good.

x0x0x0x

Well, that one was quite a bit longer than the others, eh? I started this chapter Friday night, and its Sunday night now, so I'm sorry if the writing style is a bit weird, because I've been writing this off-and-on all weekend.

As usual, I hope to update by next weekend. See ya then. BTW I think this is the second-to-last chapter. I think. We'll see how it goes.

~Maux


	12. Shopping Time Speech Time

Here's the LAST chapter, people!

I've got an idea for a sequel if anybody's interested :P

You better enjoy this, because I'm going to be sobbing by the end of it. I can already feel tears coming on…. :')

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own 'em, so don't bother asking.

x0x0x0x

Alice had gone home, making it the first day for my mom and me to do some mother-daughter things. It was a Saturday, so I asked her if she wanted to go shopping. Carlisle had given me access to the bank accounts, so money was no longer an issue. _Say goodbye to thrift stores, mom,_ I though as I saw what she was wearing. I mean, weren't those clothes last season?

Anyways, we took the ferry over to Vancouver. The first store we hit when we got there was Holt Renfrew. We walked in the front doors, and my mom's eyes went wide.

"I thought we were going to go somewhere affordable. What's this?" She said with shock.

I had to laugh at her, "The Cullens aren't exactly poor. I have access to their bank accounts, and one that they set up for me. Don't worry about price, kay? And promise not to look too carefully at the price tags?"

All she did was nod. As we walked further into the store, I started picking up clothes; jeans for me, jacket for mom. _They have a good selection this season,_ I thought absentmindedly. A trench coat in the corner caught my eye, and I called over my mom to try it on.

"Oh, that's nice. Do they have my size?" She said, adoring the blue coat. She took it off the rack when she found one that fit. "Hold my things, would you?" She passed me her purse and worn-down blazer, then slipped into the trench.

I had to admit, it was nice seeing my mom in something so nice. The dark blue went perfectly with her red hair and fair skin. "It's beautiful on you! It fit's great, too."

Mom shrugged. "But I don't have anything to wear with it. And it must cost a fortune!"

I shook my head. "Mom, what did I say? It's covered. And we'll find you something to wear, we're shopping, remember?"

She didn't look convinced. "Rachel. Just because the money's there doesn't mean it will be there forever."

"Oh, believe me, it's alright. Trust me on this." I tried a puppy-dog face, and she gave in, shaking her head and walking towards the cashier.

"Fine, but _I _get to pick the next store," she said over her shoulder.

"Okay, deal." I said when I caught up to her. She took off the coat and handed it to the girl behind the till. "Turn around while I'm paying for this."

Mom raised an eyebrow at me, "Is it _that _expensive? You won't even let me see how much it costs?"

"Yes, now turn around."

I paid, managing to do it without mom finding out that the cost was a four-digit whole number, then we went on to the next store. We went to Burberry, Lululemon, and just about every store in the mall, getting my mother a new wardrobe and me some clothes to put in my closet; seeing as she threw out my old ones as part of her 'closure' process. By the end of the day we were exhausted, and I had to resist turning vampire just to escape it.

We had dinner at a sushi restaurant, then got a hotel for the night. The next day we spent the morning purse and shoe shopping, and caught a ferry back to the island in the afternoon.

------------------

I was on the ship's deck watching the water rush by, thinking about how much my life had changed since that movie just a couple weeks before.

I had been an emotional wreck for a week of that time, and I found that I still was, just maybe not to that extent. It wasn't that I had been amazingly in love with Jake, because I was. It was the fact that I had killed someone I had cared about. It was like killing a member of my family. Overall, I just couldn't get over knowing I was responsible for taking someone's life away.

So I hid it away; away from my mind so I wouldn't have to deal with it. But here it was, coming back to bite me. Taking another piece of my happiness away. I could feel the guilt of murder in my eyes as they swelled with tears, and for the first time since it happened, I cried for Jake.

I felt a hand on my shoulder; bring me back to the present. I turned from the railing to see my mom with some tea in her hands. When she saw my face, she became worried.

"Rach, what's wrong?" She wrapped her arm around me in a hug. "Why are you crying? You can tell me."

I nodded my head and looked up at my mom. "I'm just thinking," I said. I took a breath and started again, "I've done some things. Things I'm not proud of. I was too weak, and somebody got hurt because of me."

Like the mother she is, she hugged me harder and looked me in the eyes. "You, Rachel Racine, are the strongest person I know. I'm sure that whatever happened wasn't your fault."

"You don't understand. I-"

Mom cut me off, "No Rachel. You know, before you came down for breakfast the other morning, I had a chat with Alice. She said that you had been through a lot these past weeks." When I started to look away, mom pulled me back to her, "She also said that what happened wasn't your fault. She said that if it ever came up, I needed to tell you that you were a hundred percent innocent. And guess what- I'm taking her word for this."

I took a minute to digest her words. _Alice, you must have been pretty convincing, because mom seems to be able to convince me._ I nodded at my mom.

"That's my girl." She let me go. "Now, how about we go back inside and get you some Chai Tea?"

I smiled, sniffing back tears. "That sounds great, mom."

----------------

My name is Rachel Racine Cullen. I'm not usually filled with joy when people mention love, but I know that there are people out there who care about me; people who are willing to do anything for me.

I may not have that special someone, but my families make up for it.

On Sunday, November 22, year 2000, I realized that I was the luckiest vampire in the world.

x0x0x0x

Well, *sob*, that was a nice ending, if you ask me.

I'm really going to miss this! I'm going to miss Rachel! …wait, what was that about a sequel? Oh yeah! Thanks for the reminder, Rach. There _will_ be a sequel! It might be a couple weeks until the first chapter comes out, but I hope to get it out soon.

Hugs&Kisses

~Maux


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